Click and collect services are on the increase across UK forecourts, but Jet’s Border Cars forecourt in Dumfries has gone the ‘eggstra’ mile by introducing a collection service with a difference: an egg vending machine.

Border Cars believes it is the first forecourt in Scotland to introduce this ‘cluck and collect’ service – but it doesn’t think it will be the last as, just two weeks since installation, it’s proving popular and attracting forecourt footfall.

The concept is simple: customers insert five pound coins and one of the 28 doors pops open to reveal a carton of 30 fresh, free range medium eggs supplied by Nith Valley Eggs. The computer controlled vending machine is located on the forecourt so Border Cars’ customers can buy fresh eggs even when the store is closed.

The eggs are delivered from the farm to the refrigerated vending machine within 48 hours and are stamped with the best before date. Nith Valley Eggs representatives visit the store regularly to restock the vending unit, which holds a total of 840 eggs.

Stuart Rutherford, owner of Nith Valley Eggs, explained: “I came up with the idea for the egg vending machine when I saw something similar on a business trip to Ireland. I invested in a bespoke machine that looks like a hen house and has an illustration of our local egg farm on the front of it. It’s another outlet for us to sell our eggs and we think it could really take off. The idea has certainly proved popular in Ireland.

“We’ve supplied Border Cars for six years, so we were delighted to choose the site as one of the locations for our first three units. The forecourt is a great location for the machine as it attracts high footfall and lots of regular customers. We’re really pleased with the sales figures to date.”

Alison Johnstone, forecourt manager at Jet Border Cars, added: “Excuse the pun but our customers are scrambling to try out the egg vending machine. The fact that they can get fresh, free range eggs whenever they pass the forecourt seems to really appeal to our regular customers, but also some new customers who’ve heard about it. Children in particular love helping their parents to use the machine. It’s just a bit quirky and fun, and at £2 per dozen, it’s also good value for high quality eggs.”

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